Following a win in its home-opening game on Tuesday night, the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will host Morehead State on Saturday night in an in-state battle. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (1-1 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Morehead State University Eagles (1-1 Overall, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Nov. 21 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (Play-by-Play) and Brad Redford (Analysis)
Radio: 55KRC (550 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Fast Break Points
• NKU improved to 1-1 on the year with an 83-71 win over Tiffin on Tuesday.
• NKU totaled 54 points in the second half vs. TU, the most since a 58-point second half against UC Clermont (12/14/14) last year.
• The Norse recorded 19 assists on 26 made baskets versus Tiffin. Holland led the way with 9.
• As a team, NKU is shooting 44.3% from the field and 69.6% at the line.
• Opponents are shooting a mere 29.5% (13-of-44) from three against NKU this season.
• Four Norse are currently averaging in double figures, Billups (14.5 ppg), Murray (13.5), White (10.5) and Holland (10.5).
• F Jalen Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, setting NKU’s single-season record. He’s opened this year at 71.4% (10-14).
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .637), blocks (t-6th, 95) & blocks per game (t-12th, 1.0).
• Billups and G Tyler White climbed NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 36th w/ 848 points & White checks in at No. 42 (774).
• White led NKU in made 3’s (66) in ‘14-15 & is 13th in NKU’s record books with 143-career treys.
• G Lavone Holland II just missed a triple-double in just his second game as a Norse w/ 10 points, 12 boards & 9 assists.
• G Cole Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 50% (6-of-12) from three this year.
• Murray dropped 18 points on Tiffin behind 7-of-12 shooting from the floor.
• F/C Drew McDonald is averaging 8.5 ppg behind 54.5% (6-for-11) shooting as just a freshman.
The Morehead State University Eagles enter Saturday’s contest at 1-1 overall. MSU blew away Cincinnati Christian in its season-opener, 87-51, but fell on the road to Illinois State, 67-66, on a buzzer-beating shot. The Eagles are averaging 76.5 points per game, while giving up just 59.0 points per contest.
Xavier Moon leads a trio of players averaging double-figures in scoring. He’s scoring at a 13.5 points per game clip behind 61 percent shooting. DeJuan Marrero and Corban Collins add 11 and 10 points, respectively.
NKU and MSU have previously met seven times on the hardwood, with the Norse trailing in the all-time series, 1-6. However, NKU won last season’s meeting in Morehead, Kentucky, in convincing fashion.
With the Norse leading 7-6 in the early going, NKU broke out on a 19-0 run to go ahead by 20. Northern Kentucky weathered surges by Morehead State in both the first and second-halves en route to an 83-60 win. Tyler White led the charge with 19 first-half points and a career-best 24. The junior guard knocked down 8-of-14 field-goal attempts, including a career-high five treys. Tayler Persons added 16 points and eight assists, while committing only three miscues against the Eagles’ full-court pressure. Jalen Billups and Chad Jackson each chipped in 10 points.
Lavone Holland II, Jalen Billups and Cole Murray led the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team to an 83-71 win over Tiffin in John Brannen’s home debut as head coach of the Norse. Holland fell an assist shy of a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Billups tallied 19 second-half points en route to a 22-point effort and Cole Murray dropped in 18 points for the Norse. NKU used a 54-point second-half, the most since scoring 58 in the second half against UC Clermont (Dec. 14, 2014) last season. With the victory, NKU improved to 3-0 all-time versus TU.
Junior guard Cole Murray has found his shooting touch in the early going this season. He’s connected on 10-of-19 field-goal attempts (52.6 percent), including 6-of-12 from long range. Murray is among NKU’s all-time three-point shooting leaders. His 39.6 percent shooting from three ranks t-16th all-time at NKU. And, with 86 career triples, he is just 20 shy of moving into the top 20 all-time at NKU where he would join teammates Tyler White (13th, 143) and Todd Johnson (17th, 109).
Over the last 40 games, which covers 657 days and dates back to Feb. 14, 2014 against Jacksonville, Jalen Billups has only been held below 50 percent shooting on one occasion, an 0-for-2 performance versus then-No. 16/17 West Virginia (Dec. 7, 2014). In that span, he has converted 60 percent or better 30 times and at least 75 percent 13 times. Billups has knocked down 190-of-278 attempts in that time frame, good for a blistering 68.3 percent.
NKU women host Marquette
The Northern Kentucky University basketball team kicks off the front half of a Saturday doubleheader at BB&T Arena, taking on Marquette in a nonconference matinee. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., with live coverage on ESPN3 and live stats available at NKUStats.com.
Marquette University Golden Eagles (0-2)
Northern Kentucky University Norse (2-1)
Saturday, Nov. 21 – 1 p.m.
BB&T Arena (9,400) – Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 – Mike Schmaltz (PBP) and Kaitlyn Gerrety (Analyst)
Series History: NKU leads, 1-0
NKU seeks to keep its home record unblemished after defeating Indiana State, 71-67, last weekend.
NKU is also looking to go 2-0 in its first two home games for the first time since 2013-14, when they defeated Cincinnati and Illinois State.
The Norse went 11 for 14 from the free-throw line in the third quarter against Cincinnati, their most attempts and makes in a quarter this year.
NKU’s 37.9 percent field-goal shooting ranks fifth in the Horizon League, while the Norse rank third from the arc at 37.9 percent.
NKU ranks fifth among Horizon League teams in rebounding (40.7/game) and third in offensive boards (15.0/game).
The Norse have gone deep this season, outscoring the opposing bench players by an average of 13-10.
The Golden Eagles are still looking for their first win of the season after a fourth-quarter rally came up short against IUPUI at home, with Marquette falling, 60-55. Natasha Hiedeman led the scoring with a career-high 21 points and Allazie Blockton posted her first-career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Hiedeman and Blockton are leading the scoring effort, with 12.5 and 12.0 points per game, respectively, while Blockton’s seven boards per game lead there. Amani Wilborn has seven assists on the season as well. As a team, the Golden Eagles shoot 34.4 percent from the field, but struggle from the free-throw line at 54.5 percent.
NKU and Marquette have met just one previous time, with the Norse coming out on top of a 77-68 decision on Dec. 15, 2014. Christine Roush netted a career-high 29 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Mel Doss chipped in with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
NKU jumped out to an early 11-4 lead on 3-pointers from Roush, Doss and Kelley Wiegman and never looked back from there. The Norse forced 19 Marquette turnovers, converting them into 16 points.
Two attempts to tie the game in the last 15 seconds fell short for the Norse, as they dropped a 71-68 decision to Cincinnati on Wednesday. Christine Roush led the scoring effort with 19 points while Rebecca Lyttle went for 15 points and 18 rebounds, marking NKU’s first double-double of the season and setting a new Division I record for rebounding. Rianna Gayheart added 13 points off the bench and Molly Glick chipped in 11 points.
After an early 15-2 run by the Bearcats, NKU clawed back into the game and went into halftime with a two-point lead, 32-30. Cincinnati reclaimed the lead in the third quarter and held on for the victory.
Rebecca Lyttle’s 18-rebound performance against Cincinnati on Nov. 18 set a single-game record for NKU in the Division I era, besting Tiara Hopper’s 17-board performance against Jacksonville on March 2, 2013. The 18 rebounds is the most by a Norse player since Connie Myers grabbed 20 rebounds against Kentucky Wesleyan on Feb. 2, 2005.
From NKU Athletics